


Claudlethweek 2020

by aquileaofthelonelymountain



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bylaude, Claudeleth, Claudeth, F!Byleth, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, claudlethweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquileaofthelonelymountain/pseuds/aquileaofthelonelymountain
Summary: Here are my entries for Claudlethweek 2020 - enjoy :)(I won't be able to post something for everyday, but let's see how far we come!)
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	1. 19/7: stars/comfort

**Author's Note:**

> 19/7: stars/comfort

Claude’s fingers trembled as he tried to wrap the bandage around his head.

They were slippery with blood, and there was more trickling from the sharp cut at his temple. It hurt. The stone that had been hurled at him had hurt, but not as badly as the words that had accompanied it. _Coward. Outsider. Half-breed._ And those had been the moderate insults.

The boy’s fingers slipped off the bandage once more. He tried to suppress a sob, and only a half-choked sound passed his lips. A small victory, at least. He wouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t. Not because of them.

Finally the make-shift bandage was done. Claude looked on the blood on his hands, and tears welled up in his eyes again. He forced himself to look away, to look somewhere else. His gaze travelled up to the sky, to the stars.

They seemed impossibly far away. Claude sniffed; suddenly he felt very small. insignificant even. What did it matter to the stars the he had been hurt today, or that it would happen again tomorrow? They’d still be there, shining in the dark and watching from afar as they always did.

Claude’s mouth set into a thin line. It was true: In comparison to the stars he was incredibly small. But that meant that his worries were small as well.

And that again meant that he could overcome them. He wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. He _would_ overcome them.

Claude’s gaze was still set on the starry sky. It stretched endlessly, and he wondered how many people were looking up at it, just like he was. Maybe somewhere … somewhere out there, there was somebody for him. Somebody who would accept him, understand him. Somebody – and hope made Claude’s heart beat faster at the last thought – whom he might call friend.

Fódlan’s stars shone like diamonds, but they weren’t as bright as her eyes.

Byleth laughed, free of any care, as she fell next to him into the warm, fragrant grass. They had been stuck in Derdriu’s royal palace for most of the evening, attending a ball. Instead of eventually retiring, though, they had fled the palace, and Claude had brought them up here, to a quiet little hill away from the city lights. The air was still warm, a perfect summer night following a perfect summer day.

And then there was his wonderful star.

Byleth was still clad in her ball gown, but had not cared for the fine fabric or her elaborate headdress when lying down next to him. The silk rustled as she moved to straddle him, pressing him back into the grass. She looked as if one of those paintings of the goddess had come to life.

Byleth smiled down on him. Her fingers cradled his face, traced across his jaw in a way that tempted Claude close his eyes with bliss – but he had no intention of missing the sight in front of him. Byleth grazed his temple. Suddenly her smile wavered, turned serious, concerned even.

She had noticed the scar.

Of course she knew that it wasn’t caused by any weapon, and Claude knew better than to lie about it to a former mercenary, much less his betrothed. Instead, he showed her a soft smile, one that was meant to say _Don’t worry, I’m alright. It’s in the past._

Byleth bent down and brought her face close to his scar until he could feel her breath on his skin. Her lips grazed the scar in the barest of touches. She lingered there as if she was thinking about something. Then Byleth shifted once more, and instead of kissing his scar, she kissed his lips.

Claude wrapped his arms around her, savouring the feeling of her silken dress, her soft hair, her warm body. He pulled her flush against him, and Byleth laughed against his lips.

His wish, uttered in a lonely night back in Almyra, had come true. He had found somebody to call a friend … and so much more.


	2. 24/7: birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to post the last two entries in advance since I won't be able to post on the exact day, but I hope you don't mind ;)

“Happy birthday, kiddo!”

The grin on Nader’s face didn’t bode well. He was hiding something behind his back, and Claude clasped his own hands behind his back so he wouldn’t have to accept whatever it was. Instead, he politely bowed his head.

“Thank you very much, Nader.” He couldn’t help making it almost sound like a question.

“You know, I’ve got a present for you.” His retainer eyed him expectantly, brows raised. The moments stretched, and eventually Claude gave in with a sigh. Together with Byleth, they were supposed to start a war meeting, after all. He stretched out his hands to accept the gift. Nader’s grin turned even broader.

Claude’s frown, on the other hand, deepened as he looked at his gift.

He had known that this would come back to him one day.

Nader’s gift was a teddy bear: Black beady eyes, soft muzzle, chocolate-brown fur, a fancy little outfit – golden clothes, yellow cape, black sash. Goddess, it even had a bit of beard and a single strand of hair hanging into its forehead.

“See? Now you’re a favourite amongst the children as well!” Nader let out a roaring laugh.

Claude eyed the teddy bear with a pout. Well, he probably deserved to be teased like that. After all, he had laughed and laughed once he had learned that the ‘Nader bear’ was an absolute top-seller. Heck, he had even bought one himself to put it in front of Nader’s nose.

Just what was he supposed to do with that thing?

A movement in the corner of his eye caught Claude’s attention. Byleth had stepped closer, and the look on her face was one of open adoration – not unlike a child’s, he thought, a child that had just discovered something new and exciting.

Maybe Byleth had never had an own teddy bear? The idea wasn’t too far-fetched – growing up with a bunch of mercenaries meant missing many things that were normal for other children for sure.

Claude grinned. This was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Or rather, to kill Nader’s smile and bring one to Byleth’s face.

“I’m aware that it’s considered impolite to give away a gift”, he said to Nader, “but I’m sure you won’t object if I give this lovely teddy bear to our dear Teach here.” With a radiant smile, he turned to Byleth and offered her the bear.

Her eyes widened, reminding him of a delighted child once more. How could he ever have thought that she was emotionless and stony-faced?

“For me? Really?”

“Of course! Right, Nader?” Without waiting for an answer, Claude handed her the teddy. It was heart-warming to see how cautiously Byleth took it, and with how much reverence she treated it. Her fingers brushed gingerly through the soft fur, she slightly pressed a finger against the squishy nose, she ruffled its hair. Next to him, Nader mumbled something, but the words were lost to Claude’s ears. He watched how Byleth examined the teddy bear’s fancy clothes, and how she pushed the stray strand of hair out of the bear’s forehead. A smile bloomed on her face while she did so.

Suddenly Claude felt the urge to loosen his cravat; it was way too tight around his neck. He also wanted to reach up, to touch his forehead. He felt … itchy there, as if something had slightly burned him.

Nader’s hand fell heavily on his shoulder. “I suggest we call it a day, kiddo.”

Claude put on an easy smile. “There’s no need for that, despite my birthday. There’s still a lot to plan and – ”

“Claude”, Nader said and looked him dead in the eye, “I’m not suggesting this because it’s your birthday. I’m suggesting it because you’re distracted. You may not have noticed, but I’ve been trying to talk to you for a minute now. You, however, keep staring at this teddy bear as if it was a mortal enemy of yours. I get that you’re jealous of all the caresses it receives from your lovely professor – ”

“Jealous?” Claude croaked. Much to his embarrassment, Byleth had looked up from the cuddly toy as well to watch him instead. If she noticed his red cheeks, or the scorching tips of his ears?

Nader laughed. “Well, I can’t blame you for wishing you were in its position.”

“Non-nonsense!” His voice was normal. He definitely _wasn’t_ squealing, thank you very much.

“Actually”, Byleth calmly chimed in, “a day off sounds like a great idea.” She gifted Claude with a smile that made his breath hitch. “We had an appointment for afternoon tea, but with more spare time, we could go for a picnic instead. A birthday picnic, if you’d like. How does that sound?”

“W-wonderful”, Claude replied, ignoring Nader’s laugh as well as the sensation of what must be glaring red ears.

Byleth’s smile widened. “Then let’s head into the kitchen, shall we?”

Nader was still laughing when he left the council room. Claude took a deep breath. He’d never hear the end of this.

He stopped and turned around when Byleth’s hand wrapped around his wrist.

“Thank you very much for the teddy bear. As much as I like your gift, though, I’ll leave it in my room for our picnic.” Mischief sparkled in her eyes – and something else, something Claude didn’t dare to name – as she reached up to brush the strand of hair out of his forehead, just like she had done with the teddy. “You know, I prefer the original.”


	3. 24/7 free day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to post the last two entries in advance since I won't be able to post on the exact day, but I hope you don't mind ;)
> 
> I have this headcanon that, no matter how big Byleth's and Claude's family will grow one day, their first child is a daughter ... and Claude is ABSOLUTELY doting! For her name, I searched for Arabic names that mean "star". I didn't want to take the first suggestion that pops up, but then I leanred that it also has the meaning "precious" ;)

“Take a look here.”

Claude’s finger traced across the map, and the eyes of the gathered lords and ladies followed it. Some did so with scepticism, but all with obvious interest. It was a curious group that had come together at the Royal Palace in Derdriu: leaders from Almyran noble families as well as from Fódlan, young ones sitting next to experienced ones. They all had come together to discuss the further opening of their countries’ borders.

“So far, this path here”, Claude pointed at the map, “has been our most-used connection between Almyra and Fódlan. However, some parts of that road were damaged by last season’s storms. We’ve already sent troops to repair them, of course, but this might be a good opportunity to open up another route as well.” His finger pointed south. “It will take some effort to fix this one, but once the route is open, travelling from the south of Fódlan to Almyra would become more convenient.” Claude flashed a big grin at the nobles, and all of them were perfectly aware of what he was hinting at.

In the five years of their marriage, the King of Almyra and Fódlan’s Ruler of Dawn had held court in both of their countries, slowly yet gradually bringing them closer. They always spent several moons in each country, and they invited nobles to visit as well. By now, most Fódlan nobles had been to Almyra at least once. Some of the older – and more stubborn – ones were exceptions since they claimed that such a journey would be too strenuous for them. New travel routes might change that, though.

Still grinning, Claude continued: “The effort will definitely be worth it. We could build streets that are broad enough for carriages to pass, encouraging merchants to use the road as well, and – ”

There was a quiet knock at the door, an almost timid one, but Claude heard it at once and looked up. It was pushed open, and a little girl peeked through the gap.

Some of the nobles – mostly the stubborn ones – raised their eyebrows at the interruption and were already looking for a servant who would escort the obviously lost child back to its room.

Claude left the table and approached the girl. Kneeling down in front of her, he reached out and placed a hand on her cheek.

“Najima, my darling. What are you doing here? I thought you were playing in the garden.”

The girl grabbed his sash and pulled him down to whisper into his ear.

Claude listened attentively to her. Then he nodded. “Of course, darling.” He gathered the girl in his arms and returned to the table with her. “Lords and ladies”, he declared with a bow, as if he was a servant announcing his master’s entry, “princess Najima will join our council.” He sat down again, with his daughter on his lap.

“Your Highness”, one of the elderly nobles began, “do you consider it appropriate for a child to join such a – ” He trailed off when Claude glared at him above his daughter’s head, and another noble who had opened her mouth to object as well closed it without having uttered a single syllable. Other people – like Judith and Nader – only smiled, especially when Claude’s gaze softened immediately as soon as he looked at his daughter again.

The resemblance was striking. Najima had her father’s bright green eyes, hair of the same colour and tanned skin. In her behaviour, though, she was much like her mother: quiet and attentive, thoughtful and kind. In a few words, Claude explained to her what they had been talking about so far, and she listened carefully as he continued to tell the assembled nobles of his further plans to establish more routes between Fódlan and Almyra. She sat quietly on his lap, and when Claude had to get up to point out details on the map, he moved the chair closer to the table so she would still have a good view. Only once did she raise her voice: He had leaned across the table, and she reached for his sleeve and told him: “Daddy, I can’t see.” Then he picked her up, and Najima spent the rest of the meeting sitting on her father’s arm, following his fingers moving across the map.

When the meeting was over, the nobles left in small groups after having bidden the King and his daughter farewell. Nader had a sweet treat for the princess – he _always_ had – , and Judith praised both of them with a “well done”.

Claude pressed a smacking kiss on Najima’s cheek, making her giggle. “You’re a wonderful advisor, darling.”

“But I didn’t say anything.”

“But you were listening closely, and you learned something new, didn’t you? That’s the most important thing, my dear. I think I will take you with me to meetings more often.”

“Really, daddy?” Najima spread her arms to hug him, and Claude savoured the feeling of her face pressing against his cheek.

“Anything for you, my shooting star.”

“Tell me more of the world!” She promptly took the offer, causing him to laugh. “Can you show me where you and mommy met?”

“Come darling, have a look here. Everything began in this little village. It’s called Remire …” He told her of the places he had seen and the adventures he had shared with Byleth, and how they had slowly fallen in love.

“She was standing there all alone; nobody dared to approach her. But your father, Najima”, he made a pause and tipped his finger against her nose, “was brave enough. With my most charming smile, I took your mother’s hand and led her to the dancefloor!”

“You seem to forget some parts of that evening, my heart”, a soft voice, coming from the door, interrupted his story. “As far as I remember, you were rather nervous. Your palms were all sweaty.”

“Mommy!”

Byleth approached them with a gentle smile and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Hello, darling.”

Claude offered her his cheek, hoping for a kiss as well. “And all those years I thought you hadn’t noticed, distracted by how handsome I was …”

Byleth placed a hand on his cheek and slightly turned his head to kiss his lips instead. “How did the meeting with the nobles go?”

“Very well. And yours with the knights?”

“Everything’s alright.” They exchanged a short glance; they would talk about the details later.

“Mommy, I’m daddy’s new advisor!” Najima declared giddily, and Claude nodded with pride.

“Not much longer, and poor Nader will have to retire.”

“I see. But you’ve been so busy, you’ll need a break now. Both of you. How about we all have tea in the garden?” Byleth trucked a curl behind Najima’s ear. “Then you can tell me about how you helped daddy today.”

“I hope there’ll also be some sweet treats for your busy bees”, Claude remarked while he followed Byleth out of the council room.

On the doorstep, however, he stopped once more to look back. For a moment, he saw an image of himself as a boy, bent over a table full of maps and heaps of books, the flickering light of a candle casting shadows on his lonely figure.

“Claude?” Byleth’s hand closed around his, and the glimpse of his past vanished. “Is everything alright?”

Claude looked into her eyes, felt the weight of their daughter on his arm, and he smiled. “Everything’s perfect, my star.”


End file.
